NEW ORLEANS—49ers coach Jim Harbaugh wasn’t about to get through the week before Super Bowl XLVII without singling out the strongest group on his team—his offensive line. He made sure to mention all five starters by name, and made it clear they should be considered as “offensive weapons.”

They don’t make the big plays Colin Kaepernick and the rest of the Niners’ “skill players” make. They just make all of those plays possible.

“We are a physical weapon, a blunt-force object,” Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do, so I feel honored that we call the big uglies up front a weapon.”

It’s a versatile weapon to the point the 49ers can boast having the league’s best offensive line.

“From top to bottom, they are extremely physically gifted,” said former NFL lineman Ross Tucker, an analyst for SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Going down the line, that group is Staley, All-Pro Mike Iupati at left guard, former Saints Pro Bowler and Super Bowl winner Jonathan Goodwin at center, Alex Boone at right guard and Anthony Davis at right tackle. What makes them each stand out as five individuals makes them one strong, cohesive unit.

“It’s crazy that we all have different personalities,” Boone said. “You get guys from all different walks, and they all fit so well together, it’s unbelievable.”

Joe the Fun(ny) Man

“He’s the class clown, silly one, comedian of the group,” Goodwin said. “He loves to dance and sing. He’ll just be sitting in the room and just bust out into song. He’s a jukebox, he’s got a variety.”

When he dances, Staley calls himself a “hip shaker.” It only makes sense he has moves off the field, because his mobility and footwork help him seal off the blind side for Kaepernick and open up the edge running game on the field.

Staley (6-5, 315) pounds, was initially a tight end at Central Michigan before making the move to his best pro position. Consider that’s the same program where explosive Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt got his start, and where current offensive tackle prospect Eric Fisher projects as a top-10 draft pick.

“He’s the single most athletic lineman in the league,” Tucker said of Staley.

Mike the Gentle Giant

“He can pound people, but at the same time, he’s the nicest guy in the world,” Goodwin said. “He’s just a big teddy bear.”

Iupati (6-5, 331) is the classic mauler. He blew defensive linemen away at the point of attack in his breakout 2012 season. Just like Staley, it hasn’t taken him to deliver on his first-round pedigree (17th overall, 2010).

“For him to be able to move at that size—it’s scary how big and powerful (he is),” Tucker said.

Jonathan, the Father Figure

“He’s like the dad out there,” Boone said. “He’s always so smart, yelling at somebody about something.”

At 34, Goodwin (6-3, 318), is the dean of the group, but he has been with the 49ers only two years. Before, he was an all-star in the middle of a line that helped New Orleans win the Super Bowl. In San Francisco, he has become an asset for otherwise young group with both his experience and blocking wisdom.

Alex, the Rabble Rouser

Boone (6-8, 300) was signed as an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State in 2010 and was a backup at guard/tackle before this season. As a starter, he brings the power inside, with much of the athleticism more associated with an edge player.

He was passed up in the draft because of inconsistent play and off-field concerns in college, but his talent was evident, and now he’s blossomed with the right guys around him.

Anthony, the Strong, Silent Type

Goodwin and Boone both used “quiet” to describe Davis. But in the same breath, they called him “mean” and “nasty.”

Davis was taken in the same first round as Iupati (11th overall in 2010), has many of the same silent-but-deadly characteristics in playing right tackle. That pair’s ability to grow together over the past three years has been critical to everything jelling this season.

“He’s a brother from another mother,” Iupati said. “We came in together and we always work together.”

It’s not just Davis and Iupati working hard to get to the point they are now. All five are committed to bond as much as they can to help the others do their best.

“We’re together all the time,” Boone said. “That’s what builds camaraderie and really understanding each other.”

When they’re not playing with each other, the 49ers’ starting offensive linemen’s favorite thing to do together is go out to eat. It’s no surprise what they tend to order.

“Steaks,” Boone said. “They’re big. They’re real big. We went the other day and we each got a two-pound piece of prime rib.”

As much as fun as they have as group, Staley, Iupati, Goodwin, Boone and Davis are at the best when they get to the serious business of winning football. In just two years together, with Boone starting only this year, it’s allowed them to quickly develop the continuity and chemistry they need to execute at such a high level.

“The chemistry comes from the on-field work and the time spent in the meeting rooms,” Staley said. "We will send out group texts at 11 at night like ‘Hey, did you check out this play on this film?’ or ‘What do you think about this?’ It’s not so much the off-the-field stuff but the respect we have for each other and the work we put in.”

The result is a difficult to defend hybrid scheme of gap, man and zone, lateral movement and downfield blocking. Given how much the 49ers like to do offensively, the linemen’s combined versatility is a perfect fit. How consistently good they are as players is an extension of just being themselves all the time.

“We don’t try to force our personalities,” Staley said. “The way we play football is the way we are in our life.”